Raydam finally looked back to me, shrugging off his revelation about Belinda, or not—time would tell, pouring through the hourglass until nothing was left but the ugly truth.
“What’s your purpose here? Why are you back in Xest? You’ve already caused enough damage,” Raydam finally said.
“I’m not here for you or your business. I’m here to live my life, like everyone else.” There you go. It was about as good of an olive branch as I could muster. The way I saw it, I had enough issues. I wasn’t going to run from a fight, but that didn’t mean I’d throw the gauntlet at every opponent I could find, either. Now, if Belinda wanted a fight, that would be an entirely different scenario, but it would have to wait a bit.
“You think you can do that after the monstrosity you erected in the Unsettled Lands? You’re wrong. You better go back to whatever hellhole you climbed out of and beg them to keep you, because you’re not welcome here.”
There was running and then there was standing here and listening to this crap.
“As pleasant as this little visit was, I’d best be going. Have a full day planned tomorrow.” I turned and walked away, not running. This day had been way too long to use up the last of my energy on Raydam and his crazy new girlfriend.
“Tippi, if you stay, don’t say you weren’t warned. We will come for you.”
“Duly warned,” I said, voice full of bravado even as a slight chill snaked up my spine. Just what I needed: more enemies.
As mentioned, I didn’t run anymore. But I might walk a little faster on occasion. This day couldn’t handle any more confrontations.
I didn’t completely unwind until I shut the door to Zab’s place.
“How’d it go?” Zab asked as I walked in.
His smile was so forced that I was surprised he wasn’t using two fingers on either side of his mouth to prop it up. He’d also started making second-rate cocoa as soon as I walked in, as if he’d known I’d need the pick-me-up. It was a strong switch from his earlier optimism.
“Obviously you heard,” I said as I dropped onto the couch. It wasn’t a surprise when Xest was so small and I’d hit up every business there was, only to be booted repeatedly.
“Hard not to.” His smile slipped until it was a landslide across his face. It dropped so much I was surprised his nose hung in there.
“Well, you heard wrong,” I said, smiling as my voice rose. “In spite of Hawk, I got a job over at that club, the one with no name? Zark hired me!” I did a little dance in my seat because my legs were too tired to stand.
“He did?” Zab did a little dance too.
“Yes!”
7
Zark’s place was packed the next afternoon. There wasn’t a free seat in the joint, and all eyes were on me as I walked in. My nerves would’ve preferred a slower day, but I sauntered across the room like it was a runway and I a seasoned model.
“Look who’s here!” Zark greeted me with a smile that he didn’t appear capable of yesterday. He could’ve been tired the day before, but that wasn’t what my gut was telling me. That was another thing I’d decided since I’d come back to Xest: besides not taking any shit and never backing down, the gut ruled the roost. I’d need to establish a pecking order just in case the never backing down conflicted with the gut.
“Yep, I’m here for work, just like you said,” I added, in case he needed a reminder he had hired me and I wasn’t making a social call.
“Just made a fresh batch of buttered buns. They’re in the back. Go grab yourself a couple and have a bite before you start work. I don’t want you to get worn down during your shift.”
This guy was really happy. Were these people all here to see the show? Did they think Hawk was going to march in here and drag me out? Would he try?
“Thank you, but I’m good. I ate before I came.” And if I did have an appetite, it was long gone now.
“No, no, I want you to be happy here. Can’t have you overtaxing yourself. Now go get that bun, and I’ll make you a nice tea to drink with it.”
“Okay.” He was paying me. If he wanted me to eat a bun that badly, I’d have to eat the bun. They were sitting on a table in the back, still steaming from the oven, as if he’d timed it that way. I put one on a napkin and took it with me back to the bar, where my tea was waiting, along with a very happy Zark.
“You usually this busy?” I asked, guessing it was otherwise.
“Never.” His dull eyes twinkled. and his thin lips parted for a crooked smile.
This Zark was even less inviting than the harsh, unhappy version of yesterday. This one looked like we were co-conspirators. This one might want to stuff me and prop my body up in the corner, like some twisted taxidermy display. Zark was also the only one willing to hire me, so he was my best friend for now.
“What should I do?” I asked, throwing more enthusiasm into the question than the gawking crowd instilled.
“I’ll show you around the bar,” he said, leading the way. “It might take you a while to learn all the drinks, but there’s a book right here.” He patted a fat leather tome sitting beside a cash box piled halfway up with coin.
“Most of my staff have been high-level Whimsy or low Middling witches and warlocks. I’m guessing this will be easy work for you. Shouldn’t even break a sweat.”
Magic? This job required the use of magic? I thought I’d be just slinging drinks. I smiled. If he got the impression that meant I agreed with him, at least I hadn’t lied. He’d made his own assumption and gauged my reaction accordingly.
A man stepped up to the bar, gave me a nod, and then said to Zark, “Can I get two dragon breaths?”
“We’ll bring them right over.” Zark grabbed two tall glasses and handed them to me. “Magic-infused drinks are more expensive,” he said under his breath. “See those bottles? Put some of the red, a little blue, and a little of that dark green, equal parts in that order.”
The colors layered on top of each other as I filled them. This wasn’t too bad.
“All good?” I asked.
“Good. Now you just need to infuse them a little. I’ll do this one. You watch, and then you do that one.” He covered the glass with a little tin, and then shook it and said, “Ardere.”
He took off the lid and set the glass down. It had morphed into a lava lamp appearance, with steam rising from the top.
I took the lid, put it on the top of the other drink, and shook it.
“You need to say the word as you do it,” Zark said.
I’d already figured that out. I just didn’t want to.
“Okay.” Please, let this work out. Let my magic do something smoothly for once. Don’t let it go badly.
He was watching, waiting.
“Ardere,” I said as I shook it.
I placed it on the bar as he had, and it looked perfect. It was identical to his lava lamp.
“Knew you’d have no problem,” Zark said.
I nodded. Yep. Easy.
“Should I bring them over to the table now?”
“Tell them I’ll add them to the tab.”
I carried the drinks over and presented them to the two men at the table as if I were presenting them the Mona Lisa. It was how I felt about it too. They were both perfect, even mine. It looked every bit as good as Zark’s. Hawk could go screw. I belonged here, as a barmaid, a clerk, a whatever. It didn’t matter.